WELL GET INTO IT WITH OUR EXPERTS TONIGHT. I WANT TO BE CLEAR ABOUT WHAT WERE DISCUSSING. THIS IS ABUSING SOME OF THE MOST SERIOUS POWERS OF SEARCH OF FOURTH AMENDMENT CONSTITUTIONAL OVERSIGHT AND ABUSING THEM. NOW, CONGRESS IS THE ONE THAT IS SUPPOSED TO OVERSEE THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT UNDER DONALD TRUMP WHAT WE WERE SEEING IS A POLITICIZATION TO GET TO A POINT WHERE THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT, WITH SOME JUDGES INVOLVED, WHICH WELL GET TO, WAS TRYING TO APPARENTLY TRACK, INTIMIDATE, BULLY AND SECRETLY GAG ANYONE INVOLVED WITH THIS TO GET THEIR WAY. THERE IS OUTRAGE AND CALLS FOR ACCOUNTABILITY TONIGHT. DEMOCRATS DEMANDING THAT BILL BARR, WHO WAS PART OF THIS, TESTIFIED UNDER OATH. INSPECTOR GENERAL, AND THIS IS NEW TONIGHT, WILL AS PART OF THE DOJ INVESTIGATE ITSELF. IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE THEY HADNT STARTED DOING THAT YET. THE DOJ HAS KNOWN ABOUT THIS. THEYRE ONLY TAKING THIS NEW STEP YOU SEE ON YOUR SCREEN TO GET TO THE BOTTOM OF WHY ADAM SCHIFF WAS INVESTIGATED AT ALL, BECAUSE OF THE PUBLIC PRESSURE. WE HAVE A SPECIAL REPORT COMING UP ON THE ACCOUNTABILITY AND WHAT CAN AND SHOULD BE DONE. WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT A STORY THIS BIG, CREDIT TO "THE NEW YORK TIMES" WHICH BROKE IT AND THEN OF COURSE IT IS EVERYWHERE. THIS IS HOW THAT BOMBSHELL BROKE ON MSNBC. >> HUNTING LEAKS, TRUMP OFFICIALS FOCUSSED ON DEMOCRATS IN CONGRESS. MEANING MEMBERS OF CONGRESS WHO ARE DEMOCRATS. IN ALL THE TIME I HAVE BEEN IN THIS BUSINESS, I HAVE NEVER COVERED ANYTHING LIKE THIS BEFORE. I HAVE NEVER READ ABOUT ANYTHING LIKE THIS BEFORE HAPPENING IN AMERICAN POLITICS IN GOVERNMENT. AS FAR AS WE KNOW, NOTHING LIKE THIS HAS EVER HAPPENED BEFORE. >> NOTHING LIKE THIS HAS EVER HAPPENED BEFORE. AS MENTIONED, THERE IS A REASON WHY PEOPLE GO BACK TO WATERGATE AND NIXON. WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE EFFORTS TO TAKE THE ENEMYS LIST INTO ACTION AT DOJ, THEY DIDNT GET THIS FAR. NOW I WANT TO GO THROUGH THE FACTS WITH YOU. THE CONTEXT IS WHAT DONALD TRUMP WANTED, WHAT HE SAID IN PUBLIC, WHAT HE SAID IN PRIVATE. THE DEMANDS TO GO AFTER INDIVIDUAL OPPONENTS, TO GO AFTER THE PRESS, THE LEAKERS AND ADAM SCHIFF. WE REPORT THAT THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT WAS INVESTIGATING WHO WAS BEHIND THE LEAKS OF CLASSIFIED INFORMATION EARLY IN THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION AND IT TOOK A HIGHLY UNUSUAL STEP. PROSECUTORS SUBPOENAED APPLE FROM AT LEAST TWO DEMOCRATS IN THE HOUSE, AIDS AND FAMILY MEMBERS AND THEN THIS KEY PART THATS ALSO SO CONTROVERSIAL. ONE WAS A MINOR. THE TIMES CONTINUES THAT IN 2017 TO 17, THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION SURVEYED THE PHONE RECORDS OF AT LEAST A DOZEN SOURCES FINDING CONTACTS BETWEEN TRUMP ASSOCIATES AND RUSSIA. ALWAYS GOES BACK TO THAT. THE INVESTIGATION DIDNT FIND ENOUGH EVIDENCE TO GO ANYWHERE. THE DOJ WAS LOOKING AT TAKING DOWN THE WHOLE THING AFTER THESE EXTRAORDINARY SECRET MEASURES. THEN THE NEW ATTORNEY GENERAL BILL BARR WHO WAS SEEN AS MUCH MORE POLITICAL AND CONTROVERSIAL THAN JEFF SESSIONS, HE, QUOTE, REVIVED THE PROBES AND DUE TO THEIR ZEAL, THEY BELIEVED -- THIS IS INTERNAL. THIS IS NOT EXTERNAL CRITICS. THIS IS PEOPLE ON THE INSIDE. THEY CAME TO SEE IT AS THE TIMES PUTS IT THERE ON THE BOTTOM OF THIS, QUOTE, POLITICALLY MOTIVATED. AND THIS WAS EARLY IN THE ADMINISTRATION WHEN WE KNEW WHAT TRUMP WANTED BECAUSE HE WOULD SAY IT IN PUBLIC. HE DIDNT ALWAYS NEED TO HAVE A SECRET MEETING. HE WOULD RAGE ABOUT LEAKS AND SCHIFF. >> I HAVE ACTUALLY CALLED THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT TO LOOK INTO THE LEAKS. THOSE ARE CRIMINAL LEAKS. >> I THINK ADAM SCHIFF IS THE BIGGEST LEAKER IN WASHINGTON. YOU KNOW THAT. I KNOW THAT. WE ALL KNOW THAT. I HAVE WATCHED ADAM SCHIFF LEAK. HES A CORRUPT POLITICIAN. HES A LEAKER LIKE NOBODY HAS EVER SEEN BEFORE. >> THEY OUGHT TO INVESTIGATE ADAM SCHIFF FOR LEAKING THAT INFORMATION. HE SHOULD NOT BE LEAKING INFORMATION OUT OF INTELLIGENCE. THEY OUGHT TO INVESTIGATE ADAM SCHIFF. >> WERE GOING TO FIND THE LEAKERS. THEYRE GOING TO PAY A BIG PRICE FOR LEAKING. >> THEYRE GOING TO PAY. THEY WERE GOING AFTER THE RECORDS OF THE INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE CHAIR, ADAM SCHIFF. HE FAMOUSLY LED THE FIRST IMPEACHMENT OF DONALD TRUMP. HE WAS A VOCAL CRITIC WITHIN HIS RIGHTS OF CONGRESS OF THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION, OF EXACTLY THE ALLEGATIONS OF THIS KIND OF ABUSE OF POWER AND OF ATTORNEY GENERAL BARR. >> DONALD J. TRUMP HAS ABUSED THE POWERS OF HIS PRESIDENCY, ABUSED HIS OFFICE AND THE PUBLIC TRUST BY USING THIS POWER FOR PERSONAL GAIN, BY SEEKING ELICIT FOREIGN ASSISTANCE IN HIS RE-ELECTION AND COVERING IT UP. >> THERE ARE SOME WHO MAY BE TIRED OF THIS AND WANT TO MOVE ON OR FEEL LIKE THEY ALREADY KNOW THE STORY. I CANT TELL YOU WHAT TO DO ABOUT THIS, BUT I CAN TELL YOU THAT IS THE WRONG IMPULSE IN A DEMOCRACY. THE FIRST IMPEACHMENT WAS ABOUT DONALD TRUMP ABUSING POWER TO GO AFTER HIS RIVALS TO HOLD ON TO POWER. AND THIS PROVED TO BE EXACTLY WHAT HE CONTINUED TO DO, CONTINUING THE ABUSE OF POWER, SURVEILLING THE VERY PEOPLE WHO WERE ACTUALLY TRYING TO HOLD HIM ACCOUNTABLE THEN, LEADING TO A SECOND IMPEACHMENT WHERE HE PROVED HE WAS ALSO WILLING TO OVERTURN AN ELECTION IF HE COULD GET AWAY WITH IT. I WANT TO BRING IN OUR EXPERTS WHO KNOW ALL ABOUT THE ROOTS OF THIS STORY. MICHELLE GOLDBERG AND ELLE MISTAL. YOUR REACTION TO A STORY THAT WAS EVEN WORSE OF WHAT WAS KNOWN UP UNTIL LAST NIGHT OF WHAT DONALD TRUMP WAS TRYING TO GET THE GOVERNMENT TO DO. >> I DONT KNOW IF ITS EVEN WORSE, RIGHT? IM THINKING OF THE LATE, GREAT FOOTBALL COACH DENNY GREEN. THEY ARE WHAT WE THOUGHT THEY WERE. THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT THEY HAD ALWAYS BEEN ACCUSED OF DOING. TRUMP TOLD THEM TO DO THIS, AND THEY HAVE DONE IT AND WE KIND OF ASSUMED THAT THEY DID AND NOW WE HAVE EVIDENCE THAT THEY DID, RIGHT? I PERSONALLY THINK BILL BARR PERJURED HIMSELF IN FRONT OF CONGRESS WHEN KAMALA HARRIS ASKED HIM DIRECTLY, DO YOU HAVE AN ORDER TO INVESTIGATE? HE SAID, OH, YOU SAID -- HE LIED IN FRONT OF CONGRESS. HE LIED TO THE CURRENT VICE PRESIDENTS FACE. I THINK THATS STUFF TO START A PERJURY INVESTIGATION AGAINST HIM. BUT I -- I -- WHAT ARE THE DEMOCRATS GOING TO DO? WE HAVE BEEN HERE TIME AND TIME AGAIN. WE HAVE BEEN HERE BEFORE. WE KNOW THAT THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT UNDER BILL BARR WAS CORRUPT.
WE HAVE KNOWN THAT. WE HAVE KNOWN THAT. AND, YOU KNOW, THE LAST THING I WILL SAY ON THIS, ARI, IS THAT LETS THINK FOR A SECOND ABOUT WHY WERE LEARNING ABOUT THIS LAST NIGHT. >> UH-HUH. >> BECAUSE THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON, AS YOU SAID IN YOUR OPEN, THE MERRICK GARLAND JUSTICE DEPARTMENT KNEW. THEY KNEW THIS WAS HAPPENING. >> THIS LOOKS LIKE A PATENT >> THIS LOOKS LIKE A PATENT ABUSE OF THE DEPARTMENT. YET ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF THE PRESIDENT POLITICIZING, USING THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE TO GO AFTER HIS ENEMIES. WE HAVE ASKED THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT AND THEY HAVE NOT BEEN FORTHCOMING, WHETHER THIS WAS JUST DIRECTED AT DEMOCRATS OR WHETHER THIS WAS A COMMITTEE WIDE INVESTIGATION. I WOULDNT BE SURPRISED IF THIS WAS A PURELY PARTISAN INVESTIGATION. >> MICHELLE, YOUR THOUGHTS ON WHAT WERE HEARING THERE? >> YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT MERRICK GARLAND HAS REALLY BENT OVER BACKWARDS TO ACT LIKE THIS IS A NORMAL TRANSITION OF POWER, TO SHOW SOME CONTINUITY WITH THE FORMER JUSTICE DEPARTMENT. YOU SEE IT IN THE FACT THAT THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT IS GOING TO CONTINUE TO DEFEND TRUMP IN THE DEFAMATION CASE. RIGHT? THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT WILL CONTINUE TO OPERATE LIKE HIS PERSONAL LAWYER. HE BASICALLY HE DOESNT WANT TO MAKE A CLEAN BREAK BECAUSE USUALLY THATS NOT HOW IT WORKS WHEN YOU TRANSITION FROM ONE ADMINISTRATION TO ANOTHER. IN GENERAL THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION HAS BEEN RELUCTANT TO LOOK BACKWARDS. THEY HAVE THEIR OWN AGENDA. THEY DONT WANT TO TALK ABOUT THINK ABOUT DONALD TRUMP. IN THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT AND PROBABLY A LOT OF OTHER AGENCIES AS WELL, YOU NEED A REALLY INTENSIVE REVIEW TO SEE NOT JUST -- TO SEE WHERE THE ROT WAS AND HOW DEEP IT WENT BECAUSE YOU BASICALLY -- THESE PEOPLE ARE STILL THERE. I THINK ONE OF THE IMPORTANT THINGS TO REMEMBER IS THAT THIS NEW JERSEY PROSECUTOR THAT BILL BARR BROUGHT IN TO OVERSEE THIS INVESTIGATION THAT THE PROSECUTORS INSIDE THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT HAD DECIDED WASNT NORTH PURSUING, HES STILL THERE. RIGHT? THESE PEOPLE ARE STILL THERE. AND, SO, YOU KNOW, IM SURE THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT HAS ITS OWN PROCEDURES ABOUT WHEN YOU GET RID OF ATTORNEYS, BUT I THINK THAT THERE NEEDS TO BE A MUCH -- AN EFFORT TO REALLY CLEAN HOUSE. >> YEAH. AND I THINK THAT GOES EXACTLY TO WHAT ERIC SWALWELL, THE OTHER TARGET WAS SAYING. TAKE A LISTEN TO HIM. >> THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE. ANYONE WHO IS INVOLVED WITH THIS SHOULD BE FIRED AND WALKED OUT OF THE DEPARTMENT IMMEDIATELY. DONALD TRUMP IS NOT GOING AWAY. TRUMPISM AND CORRUPTION MANIFESTS ITSELF AND OTHERS IN GOVERNMENT RIGHT NOW. >> ELLE? >> I DONT KNOW WHY YOU DONT COME INTO THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT ON DAY ONE AND YOUR FIRST ORDER IS EVERYTHING STOPS. EVERYTHING THAT YOU WERE DOING FOR THAT CORRUPT MAN STOPS NOW, AND WERE GOING TO REBUILD IT FROM THE GROUND UP. THIS INVESTIGATION IS GOOD. THAT INVESTIGATION WAS CLEARLY CORRUPT. YOU ARE FIRED. YOU, MAYBE YOU CAN STAY. YOU, GET OUT AND GO DIRECTLY TO JAIL. DO NOT PASS GO. DO NOT COLLECT $200. I DONT KNOW WHY THATS NOT HAPPENING, EXCEPT I DO AND THATS EXACTLY WHAT MICHELLE
SAID. IT IS BECAUSE MERRICK GARLAND IS AN INSTITUTIONIST. HE WANTS THINGS TO WORK THE WAY THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO WORK. HE WAS NOT PICKED TO COME IN FIRE BREATHING AND CLEAN HOUSE AND RIP THE STAFF OF TRUMP OFF OF OUR COUNTRY. >> YOU ARE SAYING THAT NEW YORK TIMES READERS SAY SOMETIMES, THAT WE SAY SOMETIMES ON "THE BEAT," WHAT MICHELLE SAID. RIGHT? IF YOU TAKE WHAT MICHELLE SAID, WHICH I THINK IS EXACTLY THE DIAGNOSIS, WHAT WOULD NORMALLY ACTUALLY BE THE PROPER THING TO DO, WHICH IS THAT YOU DONT WANT THE INDEPENDENT DOJ TO SWING JUST BECAUSE IT IS A NEW ADMINISTRATION IS ACTUALLY
So... what culture scandal will faux news come up with to not talk about this?